1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to headrests; and, more particularly, to headrests for moving vehicles, including land, air and water vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Whiplash, a non-medical term, describes injury to the neck associated with extension caused by or ancillary to a sudden distortion of the neck. Cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD) involves the mechanism of the sudden distortion of the neck. Whiplash associated disorders (WAD) describes the injury and symptoms resultant from CAD, although the exact injury mechanism that causes whiplash is unknown. It is believed that a whiplash injury results from impulsive stretching of the spine and/or ligaments therein which stretch or tear as the head snaps forward and then back again.
Symptoms of whiplash include pain and aching of the neck and back, referred pain in the shoulders, sensory disturbance to arms and legs, and headaches. Whiplash injury is usually confined to the spinal cord, and the most common areas of the spinal cord affected by whiplash are the neck, and the mid-back. Disorders can include injury to the cerebrum, and even brain injury in severe cases.
Whiplash frequently results from motor vehicle accidents and generally occurs when a vehicle has been hit in the rear, or from sudden stops, though the injury can be sustained in a variety of ways, including from falls, bicycle and horseback riding. Vehicular preventative measures have revolved around vehicular headrests. Headrests currently devised for land vehicles are typically constructed as a square or parallelogram shaped with a substantially flat relatively firm cushion adjusted to rest behind the passenger's head. It is believed that when driving, the height of the head restraint is a critical factor that influences injury risk. Conventional designs suggest that the headrest should be at least as high as the head's center of gravity, and that the distance behind the head should be as small as possible. Although vehicle headrests have been found to decrease whiplash and whiplash related injuries, the injury reducing effects are not considered significant, and headrest constructs need improvement. Current headrests provide a small distance behind the head at the head's center of gravity, but fail to adequately support the head and spine. Many headrests are positioned at an angle that pushes the head forward. These angled headrests present significant problems, and seem to predominate in lower end as well as more expensive vehicles. Lack of proper support not only impedes comfort, but also exasperates injury during accidents. As a result, current headrests are not found to significantly reduce whiplash injury to a large degree.
Other headrests designs include strap mechanisms or the like, which attempt to secure a passenger's neck against the headrest. However, these devices can be uncomfortable to use, and can even impede driving ability by holding the head in a given spot. With such designs, turning the head and/or bending the head forward become more difficult. Furthermore, with such strap mechanism headrest designs, lack of proper support exists for both the head and the spine region.
There remains a need in the art for an ergonomically constructed headrest that effectively supports the head while providing support to the spine region. Specifically, there is a need in the art for a headrest that is shaped and contoured to ergonomically support a passenger's head and neck to provide comfort and enhanced protection from head and neck injuries caused by sudden stops and/or accidents.